


The Lonely King

by phoenixwaller



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Anal Sex, Blind Character, Blind Katsuki Yuuri, Blind!Yuuri, Commoner Katsuki Yuuri, Determined Katsuki Yuuri, Falling In Love, First Kiss, King Victor Nikiforov, M/M, Magic, Sex, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2019-06-14
Packaged: 2020-05-12 00:25:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19217872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phoenixwaller/pseuds/phoenixwaller
Summary: King Victor was enchanted with beauty at birth, yet this magic came with a price. All who saw him would love him for his beauty and grace, but none for him as a person.Yuri is a commoner on a mission to inform the new King that his policies are hurting his village. Completely blind, he sets off for the capital to do what nobody else seems able: talk to the king without being swayed by his looks.Is Yuri the love Victor's wanted his whole life, and is a blind commoner worthy of the attentions of a king?





	The Lonely King

**Author's Note:**

> Ta-da! A fairy tale one-shot. Not based on anything. I wanted to try my hand at creating an original fairy tale. 
> 
> If you need a break from the angst I've been churning out in Dichotomy, or just want something sweet then here's a nice weekend treat. 
> 
>  
> 
> If you enjoy this work please click the share button up above and spread the love. 
> 
> Happy Reading!

At first Mila mistook the pounding on her door for the ferocity of the wind, but even the wind could not convey the heartache of the voice that called to her. 

“Your Majesty!” Mila said, bowing low at the sight of the queen before her, covered in a tattered cloak and bearing a wrapped bundle. “Should you be outside the castle? Word is that you gave birth just this morning.”

“Please,” the queen begged. “You must help. My son the prince…”

Mila realized what the bundle was. She took it, lifting one corner of fabric to reveal a mousy-haired infant with a crooked nose and cleft palate. 

“Please,” she begged again. “His Majesty needs a prince worthy of securing the kingdom, and I fear he will banish him if he sees him, or worse. I need your help! Please Enchantress… Before the King returns... Please, make my son beautiful.”

Mila’s breath caught. “Majesty, you know that all magic carries a price.”

“I’ll pay anything.”

Mila looked to the infant in her arms, who’d snuck out one hand and was sucking his thumb, gray eyes watching her. “I’m afraid that for magic of this calibre, the only one who will pay… is him.”

“What is the price?”

Mila shook her head. “I do not know. It will only reveal itself once the transformation is complete.”

The roaring of the wind and crackling of the fire filled Mila’s hut for several minutes. 

“Do it,” the queen whispered. 

“Are you sure Majesty?”

She nodded. “Yes. I may lose him otherwise.”

“Very well.” Mila carried the young prince to a shallow basin and laid him in it. She set to work assembling her herbs and potions. She placed bundles of fragrant flowers in arrangements around him, and poured in a warmed potion mixed with honey. She sprinkled a ring of salt around the basin and closed her eyes to chant her incantations. 

Finally she held an amethyst crystal to her lips, speaking the final words. She placed the crystal on the infant’s chest. 

The transformation was immediate, hair taking on the color of spun moonlight and eyes that of the blue of the ocean on a clear summer day. His nose straightened and his palate healed. Finally his skin took on the delicate color of alabaster.

“It’s done. His appearance will always verge on ethereal. No injury will cause permanent disfiguration.”

“He’s beautiful,” the queen said in awe. 

Mila nodded, then sniffed at the basin. She frowned and scooped out a handful of the liquid, tossing it on the floor. Her frown deepened as she eyed the pattern.

“What is it?”

“The price he’ll pay. All who see him shall love and admire him for his beauty and status, but none shall see past these to see either flaws nor the true beauty of his soul. Therefore true love will always remain out of his reach.”

“No! I don’t want that for him!”

Mila shook her head. “Sorry Majesty. What’s done is done.”

“Please enchantress!”

Mila sighed. She grabbed several jars from her shelves. “I’ll do what I can Majesty, but to overwrite such high a price is impossible. I can only hope to lessen it.”

She tossed handfuls of herbs into the basin, noting that the young prince had started to cry as if he understood his fate. 

The queen moved to soothe him. 

“Leave him. I can do nothing if he’s moved.”

The queen paused. 

“It’s not enough!” Mila cried as ingredient after ingredient found their way into the basin. 

“Please…” the queen begged. 

Mila stopped, understanding the full price that had to be paid. She turned to the queen. 

“Majesty, there is only one way to give him love in the future… and you will both have to pay the price for it.”

“What?”

“I must rob him of that which brought you here this evening. I must take the love of a mother, to give him that of a lover.”

The queen’s eyes widened and a tear spilled down her cheek. 

“You will never hate your child, and will love him from afar as all else will. But by the time he can walk you will be distant. By the time he is five, you will treat him as merely another person in the line of succession.”

Tears streamed down the queen’s face. “Do it…” she whispered. 

Mila held out a second crystal. “Hold this Majesty.”

The queen took the crystal and held it as Mila sprinkled a ring of salt around her. 

Mila spoke the incantations, then took the crystal. She laid it next to the first on the baby’s chest. 

He stopped crying as the second spell was cast. 

Mila nodded as the spell completed. She waved her arm over the basin and the liquid dried, leaving a sparkling powder in the bottom. She scooped it into a flask and handed it to the queen. 

“Do not give this to him until he is old enough to understand the implications. He may use this powder to affect something physically on one person, himself or another. He may elevate the looks of the one he loves to match his own, or he may sully his own appearance, but the change is permanent. He needs to be sure of his actions.”

The queen accepted the flask with a nod. 

Mila retrieved the prince from the basin and bundled him in his cloths again. She pressed a kiss to his forehead and handed him back to the queen. 

“What’s his name Majesty?”

“Victor... Prince Victor.”

* * *

The carriage clattered along the road as Victor returned to the castle from a tour of the outer provinces. He sighed, thankful for the calm inside the carriage.

“Ready to be headed home Majesty?” Chris, his royal advisor, asked. 

Victor nodded. “I know the people are supposed to show deference to their king, but…”

“A celebration in every village to celebrate the beauty of the ethereal king was too much?” Chris guessed. 

Victor sighed. “Yes.”

“Apologies Majesty, but there’s not much I can do to quash the whims of your subjects when they are so willing to praise.”

“I wish they’d praise for something worthy of it though, not something so shallow as my appearance. Trade deals with neighboring kingdoms have proven beneficial to farmers, ranchers and craftspeople alike. A fair tax system leaves more money in the hands of the people, while we have the means to maintain the kingdom. These are things I have done for them, and yet they seem to pale beside the praise for something which I have no control of.”

“It’s better than being despised as a ruler.”

“Is it?”

“Nobody is threatening a coup.”

Victor stared out the window in response. 

The carriage rounded a curve in the road, then jolted suddenly, flinging Victor against the wall. He was about to ask the driver what had happened when he saw a man kneeling in the road, obviously just knocked from his feet. His hands roamed the ground before him, searching for something.

“Halt the carriage!”

The horses whinnied as the driver drew back on the reins. 

Victor hopped down as soon as the carriage stopped, jogging back to where the man still knelt in the road. 

“Are you ok?” he asked. 

The man turned to him. He was beautiful with large cinnamon colored eyes that, though looking in his direction, seemed not to see him. 

The man smiled and something in Victor’s chest lurched. 

“I’m fine, but I can’t find my walking stick.”

Victor blinked, then realization washed over him. He reached out and waved in front of the man. 

“You don’t need to do that. I can feel the air moving.”

“Apologies…”

“None needed. I’m used to it.”

Victor looked around, eyes alighting on a broken walking stick. He walked over and picked up the pieces. “I’m so sorry, but it appears your walking stick was broken.”

The beautiful man frowned. “That’s a problem. Walking unfamiliar terrain is difficult without it.”

“I feel that it’s partially my responsibility. Please, allow us to take you somewhere. Where are you headed?”

The man bit his lip. “I’m on my way to the capital, I would like to seek an audience with the king.”

Victor noted that Chris had made his way over. He held his finger to his lips, and Chris nodded in understanding.

“You’re in luck,” Victor said. “We are also headed to the capital. We can take you.”

“Oh no,” the man replied, waving his hands. “I’d hate to be a bother. You can drop me at the next village so I can have a new staff fashioned.”

“Nonsense!” Victor laughed. “It’s no bother to take you with us. It’s a journey of two days by carriage still, but would take you nearly two weeks. Shortening your journey is the least I can do.”

The man bowed in what appeared to be a custom is his region. “I thank you for your generosity.”

Victor smiled. “What’s your name?”

The man stood. “Yuri. Yuri Katsuki.”

Victor laughed. “I have a cousin named Yuri.”

Yuri smiled at him. “It is a common name. I understand even one of the princes is named Yuri.”

Victor had to hold back another laugh. “Indeed. The young cousin to the king.”

Chris raised an eyebrow at him. 

“My name is Victor,” he said. “My friend and traveling companion is Chris.”

Yuri bowed again. “It’s an honor.”

Victor reached out and laid his fingers on Yuri’s upper arm. “Shall we?”

Yuri nodded. “Thank you.”

Victor guided him to the carriage and helped him inside. He followed and Chris was the final one in. Soon the clack of the wheels sounded again. 

“You mentioned an audience with the king,” Victor said after several minutes. “What is your petition?”

Yuri frowned. “I must impress upon his Majesty the importance of changing his recent tax and trade policies!”

Victor blinked. “But… Are they not beneficial?”

Yuri slumped in the seat and bit his lip. “I’m sure in the capital and major cities they are, but in my hometown of Hasetsu, they are strangling the people.”

Victor exchanged a glance with Chris, who wore a concerned expression. 

“This is the first I’ve heard of it,” Victor said. “Please, continue.”

Yuri was silent a moment before nodding. “Hasetsu is a small fishing village, not a major center of commerce. But we’ve always managed. The fisherman work hard, and buyers from across the kingdom would come to purchase fish. Our inns were filled with traders, and life was good.”

Yuri paused to clench his fists. “Then the new king… he made trade policies with neighboring kingdoms. Having few fishing villages of his own, he made deals that allowed fish to be imported from outside the country at far cheaper costs than travel to Hasetsu. Our fishermen had to drop prices, but it still wasn’t enough. Now many cannot support their families. Our inns were affected as well. Without the traders there were few visitors to such a small village.

“Then… then the new tax laws. To those in the capital it must seem a trifle to pay a set amount in taxes, but in a struggling village it can mean the difference between feeding a family or going  to prison for failure to pay. And being so far removed we do not even see the benefit of roads that have been promised.”

Victor frowned. “Has anybody else tried to tell this to the king?”

Yuri shook his head. “He came to our village just over a fortnight ago. My elder sister was determined to tell him during his introduction in the village center. But when she returned all she spoke of was his beauty and elegance. Then, despite all the pain his policies have wrought, he insisted that the village honor him with a celebration of his looks.”

Victor shared another glance with Chris, who was frowning as well. 

“Everybody in town now speaks of the beauty of the king, but their burdens have not lessened. They still struggle daily under his policies.”

“So why are you going and not somebody else?” Victor asked, heart clenching at the thought of his people suffering so. 

Yuri sighed. “I did not go to the central square that day, so I know not what he said. But I know things have not changed. My family is at risk of losing our inn, and yet my parents and sister only speak of the king’s looks.” He gave a wry smile. “But, I cannot be affected by such trivial things. I cannot praise that which I know nothing about. I decided to go, because no matter how beautiful our king may be, he will not be able to use his countenance to sway me from my mission. I  _ will _ inform him of the damage his policies have wrought.”

Victor held his finger to his lip. There was something different about Yuri Katsuki. 

* * *

Yuri walked slowly through the halls of the inn. The quiet and chill of the air informed him it was still before dawn, but he was used to the hours from his own work. He hoped to enjoy a quiet bath before the other guests awoke.

“I can’t believe it,” hushed whispers from around the corner. “The king is staying  _ here,  _ in our inn.”

“And so generous,” a second voice said with a swoon. “To think he picked up a blind man on his travels and is taking him to the capital.”

Yuri frowned and silently turned to head back to his room.

* * *

Victor watched Yuri. Despite the fact he was blind he kept his head turned toward the window, almost as if he was watching the passing landscape. His arms were crossed over his chest. It was a dramatically different demeanor than he’d displayed the day before.

“One more night in an inn,” Victor said, trying to cut the tension. “Then we’ll reach the capital around midday. Do you know where you’d like to stay?”

“No.”

Victor glanced to Chris, who shrugged. 

“I have a bit of sway. Would you like me to help you arrange your audience with the king?” he offered. 

Yuri turned to him for the first time, fire evident in his scowl. It was an expression that Victor had never had aimed at him. 

“Haven’t you already heard my petition,  _ your Majesty? _ ” Pure venom dripped from Yuri’s voice. 

Victor’s eyes widened. “When…”

“I overheard staff at the inn talking about how great it was that a king would escort a blind man to the capital. The chances of two blind men going to the capital at the same inn are so low as to be laughable.”

Victor sighed. “I’m sorry Yuri. I didn’t mean to deceive. I just thought you would refuse my offer of transport if you knew.”

“You’re right. I would have. I almost didn’t join you this morning. My mission is complete after all. I’ve informed you of how your policies are hurting my village.”

“Why did you come then?” Chris asked. 

Yuri sighed. “Because I haven’t received an answer. I decided merely informing his Majesty wasn’t enough. I need to take an answer home.”

Victor’s eyes widened. Yuri was so determined, and it made him radiant. 

Victor reached out and took Yuri’s hand, making Chris gasp in astonishment. 

“Yuri. I don’t have an answer for you yet. It’s more complicated than I can give right now. But I would like you to stay in the castle as my guest until I have one for you.”

Yuri turned toward the window again and Victor’s heart sank. 

“Fine,” Yuri said after a minute. “I’ll stay. Though I will need to send word to my family so they do not worry.”

“We’ll send a messenger as soon as we reach the capital.”

Yuri nodded. “Thank you Majesty.”

“Please Yuri,” Victor said. “Call me Victor.”

“Is that an order your Majesty?”

Victor frowned. “No. It’s a request. I know I lied about who I am, and I know you feel I’ve wronged you. But I want to be your friend, and that means leaving the titles aside.”

Yuri sighed. “Fine… Victor.”

* * *

Yuri swept his walking stick ahead of him as he moved through the castle. He’d received it the day after their arrival, delivered by one of the castle attendants.

He didn’t even know how Victor had managed to have one fashioned so quickly. 

_ Perks of being King… _

He heard voices and realized he was approaching an adjoining hall. He slowed and tapped the stick lightly so the people wouldn’t trip on it.

“Ah Yuri.”

_ Chris… _

Yuri bowed slightly in the direction of the voice. “Good afternoon Chris.”

Chris chuckled. “Just who I was looking for. His Majesty would like to see you.”

“Victor?”

There was a gasp from an attendant at Yuri’s casual use of the King’s name. 

Chris laughed. “The one and only.”

“Did he say why?” Yuri asked as Chris lightly touched his arm to indicate direction. 

“No, but he’s in a meeting with his finance and trade ministers. I’m guessing it’s something to do with your petition.”

“I see. Is it alright if I’m there though?”

“He’s king,” Chris replied. “If he says it’s ok, then it’s ok.”

“Oh…”

They walked in silence for several minutes, Chris telling him directions at intersections. 

“Is it difficult?” Chris asked as they walked. 

“Hmm?”

“Being unable to see?”

“It’s what I know. Perhaps if it were new I’d consider if difficult. But… How to put this? Is it difficult for you to not hear the sound of a dog whistle?”

“No?” Chris guessed. 

“It’s like that for me. There could be an entire range of things we’re not aware of in the sound of a dog whistle, but we never knew them, so we don’t feel they’re lacking. It’s not difficult to not know those things, because we never relied upon them in the first place. Does that make more sense?”

“Even in a world where others can see, and you can’t?”

Yuri paused. “I think… the difficulty lies not in what I lack, but in how others perceive me. Some treat me as if my mind is similarly lacking. Others as if I’m an invalid who can do naught for myself. Their vision stops when they see that I have none. But even I know that one doesn’t need working eyes to know that there is far more to a person than what they can see.”

“I think I understand why his Majesty is so enamored of you,” Chris said as they started walking again. “Left here.”

“What do you mean?”

“Those of us around him every day eventually learn to get past his beauty, at least a bit. But for him, it’s almost a curse. He truly wants to do the best for his people, but time and again what they seem to praise is his looks.”

“I thought he liked that…”

“You said something, the day we picked you up.”

“Hmm?”

“You said that he demanded that villagers celebrate him and his looks.”

“Didn’t he?”

“No.He’d have much preferred your brutal honesty about tax and trade policy than any party about something of which he has no control. Stop in ten paces.”

Yuri let Chris’s words settle, stopping when indicated. 

“We’re here,” Chris said. “If it’s alright with you, I’d like to guide you to a seat. It can get rowdy and though the ministers have been made aware of your impairment, the quarters are close and it’s easy enough to trip.”

Yuri nodded. “Ok.”

Chris knocked twice on what Yuri could hear was a heavy wooden door. “I’ve brought Mr. Katsuki as requested.”

Sound from behind the door stopped and the soft creak of hinges. 

“Yuri!” Victor’s voice came from inside. “Thanks for coming!”

Yuri bowed slightly. “Majesty.” He paused. “I’ve been informed there are a number of ministers here as well. Thank you for having me.”

“Hmph,” said Victor. 

“Majesty?” Yuri asked. 

“I told you to call me Victor.”

“But is it proper in front of…”

“I’m King, and if I say it’s proper for you to use my name, then it’s proper.”

Yuri smiled despite himself. “Ok.”

Chris laid a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s get you a seat.”

Whispers as Chris led Yuri around a room. The scrape of wood against stone. 

Yuri placed his hands on the back of a chair and felt along the arms until he was confident where the seat was. He relaxed into it. Once he was seated he carefully brought his hands up and felt the edge of what seemed to be a table. He nodded to himself and folded his hands in his lap again.

“I’m setting your walking stick in the corner,” Chris said softly over his shoulder. “The wall is three paces behind you, and the corner is five paces to your left from there. There is no furniture in your path.”

“Thank you.” Yuri said as Chris’s footsteps retreated. 

“Tch.” A voice sounded, the timbre of a teenager. “Why did you bring him here?”

“Yura!” Victor scolded. 

_ Yura? _

“Apologies Yuri,” Victor said. “That was the first prince, my cousin Yuri.”

_ Oh. _

Yuri bowed slightly to where he remembered hearing the voice. “An honor your Highness.”

“Tch. I don’t understand why Victor brought you here anyway.”

“Manners highness,” one of the ministers scolded. 

“Tch, lot like he cares. Besides, if a commoner is allowed to address him so casually, then surely he won’t mind if I do as well.”

“Yura!” Victor scolded again. 

“Look,” the prince shouted. “None of these fools will say it, but I will. What is he doing here? He says that his village is suffering, but nobody said that when you were there? How do we know they didn’t lie to him and send the blind man who didn’t know any better to tug on your notoriously soft heartstrings? Has he been able to see the suffering with his own eyes?”

Gasps from around the table.

Yuri slammed his hands on the table in front of him and stood. “One does not need sight to understand suffering Highness. I may not be able to ‘open my eyes’ as they saying goes, but you could do to close yours. One does not need vision to hear the echoing of empty halls when they should be filled with the chatter of traders rooming for the catch of the season. Nor does one need it to understand that the air in a disused room is stale, or to smell that fish that used to sell by mid-morning was from the catch of the day before. Nobody  _ sent _ me. I came because I can’t bear to know the people I know and love are suffering.”

Yuri turned, and with a hand out strode the three paces to the wall. His fingertips just skimmed it as he turned to retrieve his walking stick. He kept one hand to the wall as he turned back and headed toward the door.

“Yuri?” Victor asked.

“I know when I’m not wanted Victor,” Yuri replied. “I’ll let you get back to your meeting.” He felt along the door until he found the pull and opened it, tapping the stick to let anybody in the hall know that he was entering. 

Yuri took a deep breath as the door closed behind him. He took several tentative steps away from the room, trying to remember the way back to more familiar corridors. 

He started trembling, more with each step. 

_ I yelled at the prince, and disobeyed the king. I’ll probably be killed.  _

His stick found a wall and he moved to rest his forehead against it, fist clenched. 

_ I couldn’t stay silent though. _

Footsteps. He expected to be taken into custody. 

“Yuri…” Victor said. 

“I’m sorry,” Yuri said. “I… I couldn’t… I’ll gather my things once I get back to my room.”

Yuri pushed off the wall and took a step he hoped was in the right direction. 

A hand on his arm. “Don’t go.”

“I’m only causing more problems.”

“You’re saying things they need to hear. You’re saying things  _ I _ need to hear.”

“Victor.”

Victor’s hand tightened on his arm. “This way.”

“Victor!” Yuri protested as he struggled to keep up. Luckily the king led him around the corner and into one of the alcoves that lined the corridors. 

There was a wall at his back, and Victor pressed against his front. 

“Victor!”

“Yuri…” Victor said, so close his breath ghosted over Yuri’s face. “I’m sorry. This is my fault. I should have guessed they’d respond like that.”

Yuri shook his head and tried to push Victor off, but had to hold back a groan when instead of the soft body of luxury that he’d expected, was toned and strong muscles under his fingertips. 

“I…” Yuri said. “No. You’re the king! It can’t be your fault!”

“Yuri,” Victor sighed. “I may be king, but I’m still human.”

Yuri was about to respond when Victor pressed a finger to his lips. “Shh, they’re leaving,” he whispered. 

Footsteps as the room emptied. Victor’s finger stayed against his lip until the sound started to fade. 

“This corridor is almost never used,” Victor said softly. “That’s why I pulled you down here.”

“Victor… I…”

“I want you to come back tomorrow,” Victor interrupted. 

“What?”

“What Yura said was out of line,” Victor said. “But I’m sure now that the silence of the ministers indicates that they didn’t want to voice similar thoughts.”

“Then I should leave.”

“No!” Victor said. “I need you now more than ever. If you leave, they’ll say that it was as they believe. But if you’re willing to stay and fight, then I’m sure your resolve will touch them.”

Yuri gaped. 

“Victor?”

“Hmm?”

“Why… why do  _ you _ believe me?”

A hand against his cheek. 

“I saw it that first day. You didn’t know who we were, and had no reason to lie. But passion filled your voice. You’re so determined. How could I not believe you?”

“Victor…”

“Please Yuri. Please… don’t give up yet.”

“Ok.”

* * *

“Those trade agreements took years to negotiate,” one of the ministers shouted. “We can’t revisit them just for a handful of tiny villages. We’ll never get as favorable of terms!”

“Villages that seem to have been completely forgotten!” Yuri shouted right back. “We’re citizens of this kingdom too!”

“Look,” Yakov, one of Victor’s most trusted ministers said, “It seems harsh, but we’re primarily a landlocked kingdom. We only have a few fishing villages along the tiny stretch of coast and dotted along the river. The majority of our people rely on farming, ranching and craftsmanship to survive. We had to get the best export terms, and for that sacrifices had to be made. There wasn’t enough supply coming from the fishing villages to fill the increasing demand. Beyond that, imported fish was considered a delicacy, one which more people can now afford, which helps morale of the kingdom overall.”

“So you’re going to forsake us?”

Victor pinched the bridge of his nose. He scanned the room, noting the unease on the faces of many of his ministers. Yuri had come back as promised and told them of his village, and the second attempt had gone over better. 

He also noted a couple ministers that seemed unaffected whatsoever. 

_ Probably the ones becoming rich off the seafood imports. _

“Enough,” Victor said. He turned to where Yuri sat. “Yakov is right Yuri. Those agreements aren’t going to get better, and we’re likely to hurt ourselves overall if we try.”

“But Victor!” Yuri started. 

“Hear me out,” Victor said. “Trade agreements aren’t the only means of fixing this. There has to be a way to help our fishing villages, without putting the trade agreements back on the line. We just have to find it.”

“How?” Yuri implored. 

“I don’t know yet,” Victor admitted. “But we’ll find something.”

Yuri sighed. 

“Moving onto taxes…”

“Don’t you think that’s enough for today?” Yakov asked. 

Victor looked around again, then his stomach rumbled. “I guess you’re right.”

“But…” Yuri protested. 

Victor turned. “I understand Yuri. But we’ve been at it for hours. We need to consider ourselves too.”

Yuri sighed. “Fine.”

“Ok everybody,” Victor said. “I want ideas. We need a way to help the smaller villages that didn’t benefit from our trade deals.”

Murmurs from around the table.

Victor looked around, meeting everybody’s eyes. 

“Dismissed.”

The scrape of chairs, then Victor watched everybody except Yuri file out. Yuri sat there, hands clenched into fists. 

“Yuri?”

Yuri’s fingers tightened, knuckles turning white. “They all act as if this is an inconvenience. But  people are hurting!”

Victor rounded to where Yuri sat. He placed his hand on his shoulder. “These things take time.”

“But we don’t have any!”

Yuri was trembling under his fingertips. Victor looked to see the other man crying. 

“Yuri…”

Yuri wiped his tears. “You’re right.”

Victor frowned, heart aching for the other man. “Yuri…”

Yuri stood and started moving to where Chris had set his stick. 

“Let me,” Victor said. 

“I can get it.”

“I know you can, but I’m closer.”

“Ok.”

Victor smiled at the tiny display of trust. He grabbed Yuri’s walking stick and pressed it into the other man’s hands. 

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Yuri turned, and headed toward the door, sweeping the stick in front of him. 

_ Don’t go… _

“Yuri?” Victor asked as the other man reached the door. 

Yuri stopped. “Yes?”

“There’s a festival in town today. I’m expected to at least put in an appearance. Would you care to join me?”

Yuri was silent for several seconds. “I’m not so good with festivals or crowded places.”

Victor blinked, then his eyes fell on Yuri’s walking stick. “Too many people?” he guessed. 

Yuri nodded. “I tried a few times when I was younger, but either people tripped over my stick, or I kept bumping into things.”

“Do you  _ want _ to go?” Victor asked. 

Yuri sighed. “It would be nice. I like the music and the atmosphere.”

“Then allow me to escort you. You can leave your stick here, and I promise I’ll keep you from tripping or getting hurt.”

A moment of silence.

“Are you sure you’d want to be seen with me?”

“Why wouldn’t i?”

“Everybody talks about how beautiful you are… and you’re the king. I’m just… me.”

“Yuri…” Victor walked around the table. “You’re beautiful too.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“But I do. You’re beautiful, and so strong. It would be an honor to go with you.”

Yuri sighed. “Ok.”

* * *

At first Yuri was worried about leaving his walking stick behind, but he quickly found that Victor kept to his word. With hands tangled together, or a gentle touch to his arm or shoulder he was able to steer him clear of most obstacles. The rest were with soft spoken instructions.

Yuri relaxed and allowed Victor to guide him, even into a simple dance near a band. 

For a moment Yuri could almost forget that his anger with the king was what had driven him to the capital in the first place. 

“Yuri?”

The chatter of excited children, merchants selling wares, competing bands. 

“Yuri?”

Yuri blinked and realized Victor was talking to him. “Pardon. What?”

Victor chuckled. “I was asking if you were hungry.”

“Oh… um… I guess I am.”

“Do you know what you want?”

“Hmm…”

“Fried fish!” one of the merchants shouted into the crowd. “Fried fish, fresh from Hakata!”

Yuri paused, stomach rumbling. “Let’s get some fish!” He tugged Victor’s sleeve toward where he heard the call.

“Fish from Hakata?” Victor asked. 

“It’s the village closest to Hasetsu.”

“So you’re looking for a taste of home?”

Yuri felt the blush across his face. “It’s not my mom’s cooking, but there are some varieties of fish that only come from around there.”

“A taste of home it is.”

Yuri could hear the smile in Victor’s voice. 

There was a pause, then Victor led him closer. “Have a seat here. I’ll be right back, ok?”

Yuri felt for the bench and sat. 

“I can’t believe his Majesty is here,” came a woman’s voice somewhere to his left. 

“He’s so beautiful,” said a second woman. 

“I wonder who was with him…”

“Isn’t he the blind man he brought to the castle?”

Yuri strained to listen as the women kept walking away, but the excited cries of children drowned them out. However he soon realized that he was the subject of many conversations. 

“Did you see that man with the king?”

“Who was that with the king?”

Yuri wrapped his arms around himself. 

“Hey you!”

Somebody kicked the bench Yuri was sitting on, making him jump. 

“Y… yes?”

“Aren’t you the man with the king?” a man asked.

“I… I…”

He felt the air move around him, filled with the stench of alcohol-laced breath as somebody leaned in. 

“It’s totally him!” a second man replied.

Yuri recoiled slightly. 

“What’s wrong with him?” the second man asked.

Yuri yelped in surprise as one of them jabbed him in the chest. 

“No way,” the first man said. “He didn’t see that coming.” A cruel laugh. “He’s blind!”

The second started laughing. “A blind man with our king? He can’t even appreciate it!”

Yuri crossed his arms over his chest and curled in slightly. 

The men started laughing harder. 

“Yuri!”

Yuri perked up at Victor’s voice. 

“What are you doing to him?” Victor demanded. 

“We just wanted a look at the man accompanying you, your Majesty,” the first man said. 

“You’ve seen him,” ice laced through Victor’s voice. “Now leave him alone.”

“Ye… yes sire!” the men shouted in the slightly-too-loud manner of the inebriated. 

Footsteps running away.

Yuri felt Victor’s warmth beside him as he sat. 

“I’m sorry about that,” Victor said softly. 

“No, no, no!” Yuri cried, waving his hands. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Victor sighed. “No, I should have expected something like that when I left you alone. People have been staring, but I thought they’d all have the good sense to leave you alone.”

“They’ve… been staring?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“I’m sorry…” Yuri said. “I… It must be embarrassing to be seen with me.”

“Why would you say that?” Victor asked. 

“I mean… I’m just me.”

“Why should that matter? You’re the one I asked to accompany me. Whom I spend my time with is my decision, not theirs.”

“Because you’re king?” Yuri asked softly. 

“Because I’m human.”

“Oh…”

Something warm was pressed into Yuri’s hands. He felt the crinkle of paper and the texture of fried fish underneath. 

Yuri leaned in and sniffed. A tear came to his eyes at the familiar scent. 

“You ok?” Victor asked. 

Yuri nodded. 

“Go on, eat while it’s still warm.”

Yuri nodded again and bit into the fish, allowing the flaky tenderness of it to melt on his tongue. “So good.”

A crunch from next to him. “Delicious!” Victor cried. “This is the fish from your area?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“It’s so good!”

Yuri smiled softly. “I think so too.”

“No really! It’s nothing like what we get imported.”

Yuri paused eating. “You mean you’ve never had fish from your own fishing villages before?”

“No…” Victor sighed. “Local fish was always something for the people. We were only served the best imports.”

Yuri frowned. “I see.”

“And now… the imports are cheaper.”

“Yeah…”

Silence fell between them as they ate. 

“That was so good,” Victor said, crinkling the paper the fish had been served in. 

“Yeah…”

“I wish I could eat that more often.”

Yuri laughed dryly. “I mean, you’re king. If you want to eat fish from your own villages, then just have it brought in.”

A moment of silence, then Victor clasped Yuri’s hand. “Yuri! You’re a genius!”

“Huh?”

“Desirable cuisine is decided from the top down, right?”

“Huh?”

“What the king eats, everybody wants!”

“Ok…”

“Think about it Yuri! If I start asking for local fish, then other people will want it too. Demand will come up again. It might not be quite as fast as a change in trade policy, but it’ll be close.”

Yuri paused, listening to the chatter around them. 

“Did you see that? The king was eating the fish from Hakata…”

“What was the king eating? Where do we get it?”

“You think it’ll work?” Yuri asked, the idea settling into his head. 

“I know it will!”

In his excitement Victor’s hand had found its way on top of Yuri’s, and Yuri had unconsciously woven their fingers together. 

They both seemed to realize it at the same time, a weighted silence falling between them. 

“I’m sorry,” Yuri said, shifting to pull back his hand. 

Victor’s other hand wrapped around his wrist, the crinkled ball of paper making a sound as it landed on the ground. 

“Don’t,” Victor said softly. 

“Victor?”

“Don’t…”

“Don’t stop holding your hand?” Yuri guessed. 

“Yeah.”

Yuri smiled despite himself and tightened his fingers with Victor’s. “Ok.”

Victor scooted closer, and Yuri could smell the lingering hints of the fried fish on his breath. Could feel from the angle that he was leaning into him. 

“Yuri?”

“Hmm?”

“What… what do you want for you?”

Yuri blinked. “I don’t understand.”

“You came all this way in order to help others, but what do  _ you _ want? Once they’re happy and thriving again that is.”

Yuri closed his eyes. “I guess, I just want things to go back to normal. I mean, I don’t expect much. There’s not much I can do.”

“What do you mean?”

“I know how to work in the inn. I have my duties, things that don’t require me to see. But even I have to admit there are jobs that require sight. For instance I may learn to mix dyes for fabric, but I’ll never know how well a color takes, or how dark it is.”

“I think there’s more you can do than you give yourself credit for.”

Yuri smiled. “Not really.”

“Yuri,” Victor murmured, coming closer. “You’re here. You’re fighting in ways nobody else is. You said it yourself. There are other ways to know than sight.”

“Thank you.”

There was so much warmth, and Victor was so close. Fingers tightened with Yuri’s, even as Victor’s free arm moved to rest lightly on the back of Yuri’s neck, drawing him closer. 

Yuri took a breath and tilted his face toward Victor’s. 

His skin tingled with anticipation. 

“It’s really him!” a nearby woman screeched. “It’s his Majesty!”

Yuri and Victor both stiffened and sat back. 

“Shall…” Victor started, slightly breathless. “Shall we go back to the castle?”

Yuri nodded, unable to form words.

“Ok.”

They stood, Victor stopping a moment. Yuri heard the crinkle of the dropped paper. Then Victor was guiding him back toward the carriage. 

_ I… we… he almost kissed me. _

_ I almost kissed him back… _

They were silent as the carriage clacked over the cobblestone streets. Then it stopped and a breeze blew through as the door was opened. 

“Thank you,” Yuri said softly as he was helped down. “I had fun.”

Victor’s hands on his arms. “It was my pleasure Yuri.”

An attendant walked up and gave Yuri his walking stick. 

“I guess…” Yuri started. “I guess I should go back to my room.”

He started walking away. 

“Yuri?”

Yuri paused. 

“If… if it’s ok with you, I’d like… Let’s walk the grounds together?”

Yuri paused and smiled. He turned. “I’d like that.”

Victor walked over and linked their arms together. “Is this ok?”

Yuri felt the blush over his cheek. “Yeah.”

“Can you take his stick to his room?” Victor asked. “I’ll escort him.”

“Yes Majesty,” the attendant replied as Yuri held out his stick.

Victor set a comfortable walking pace, telling Yuri about the fragrant gardens as they passed through.

Soon Yuri was surrounded by the scent of roses in bloom. 

“Roses?” he asked. 

“Mm-hmm,” Victor replied. “It’s such a lovely garden. The roses come in all colors and sizes. They’re planted in ways that are an art of their own.”

Yuri took a deep breath. “I can smell it. So many varieties make such a lovely scent.”

“I thought you would like it here.”

Yuri smiled. 

“I brought you here for another reason too.”

“Hmm?”

“The gardens are generally empty this time of day.”

“Victor?” 

Victor turned and ran his hands along Yuri’s upper arms. “Yuri?”

“Yes?”

“May I kiss you?”

Yuri’s eyes widened. “I… uh… Is it ok for a king to kiss a commoner?”

“I say it is.”

Yuri’s breath caught in his throat. “Yes…” he whispered, eyes fluttering shut. 

Victor’s lips were warm and soft against his, and Yuri wanted more as they parted. His hands slid up the front of Victor’s clothes to circle the back of his neck. He unconsciously rose on his toes, chasing the feeling. 

Victor’s arms around his waist, holding him close. Then their mouths came together again. Victor licked at the seam of Yuri’s lips, and Yuri couldn’t help himself as they parted to welcome the other man inside. Their tongues danced and played between them until they had to part for air. 

“Yuri…” Victor murmured. “How are you so perfect?”

“I’m not perfect,” Yuri said softly. “I’m just me.”

“You’re wrong. You’re far better than you give yourself credit for.”

* * *

Papers spread across Victor’s desk, but he could hardly focus on them. His mind kept drifting to thoughts of Yuri, soft and warm in his arms, the scent of roses all around.

_ Yuri… beautiful Yuri.  _

A knock at the door, he looked up to see Chris standing there. 

“Chris!”

Chris smiled. “I have a message for you.”

“Oh?”

“Her Highness the Queen Mother would like to see you.”

Victor blinked. “Mother?”

Chris nodded. “She’s waiting in her chambers.”

Victor stood. “Thank you Chris.”

_ What could mother want with me?” _

A few minutes Victor stood outside his mother’s chambers. He raised his fist and knocked on the door. 

“Enter.”

Victor slipped inside, closing the door softly behind him. “You summoned me mother?”

She nodded from her place on a loveseat and indicated the empty place across from her. 

Victor walked over and took a seat. 

“Rumor around the castle is that you’ve taken a lover.”

Victor sighed. “I’m quite taken with Yuri, but I wouldn’t call him a lover.”

She studied him for a minute. “You say that, but I can see the hope in your face.”

Victor sighed. “Is there a reason you summoned me mother?”

She stood, gown just skimming the floor as she walked to the fireplace. She reached into a box on the mantle and came back. She sat, something folded in her hands. 

“Mother?”

“It’s time I tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

“About the day you were born…”

Victor’s eyes widened as his mother described the night she took him to the enchantress, and the price they’d both paid for her decisions. 

Finally she set a flask on the table between them. 

“If you really love him, my son, then this is your birthright. This is the last gift of the enchantress.”

Victor picked it up and looked at the glittering contents. “You’re giving this to me now?”

“You missed out on so much, and my recklessness has caused you so much pain,” she said softly. “But…”

Victor sighed. “I understand.” He stood. 

“Victor?” she asked as he approached the door. 

Victor held up the flask. “If you’d given this to me before I met him…” He lowered his arm. “Now though. I just want to stay close to him.”

His hand was on the door before his mother spoke again. “Victor?”

“Yes mother?”

“I’m sorry.”

He turned back and shook his head. “What’s done is done. Thank you for telling me.”

* * *

They strolled hand-in-hand through the gardens, crickets singing all around. The chatter of flames in lanterns combined with a chill in the air let Yuri know the late hour.

Victor’s fingers tightened around his own. 

“Victor?”

“Hmm?”

“Is everything ok? You’ve been rather quiet tonight.”

Victor paused and pulled Yuri into his arms. 

“Victor!”

“Don’t go, Yuri.”

Yuri’s eyes widened. “Victor? What do you mean?”

Victor nuzzled into his neck. “When you have your answer. Please. Don’t go. Don’t leave me alone again.”

Yuri reached up and trailed his fingers along the side of Victor’s face, feeling the fringe of his hair tickle the back of his hand. “What do you mean?”

VIctor stood and pulled Yuri to a nearby bench. He took both of Yuri’s hands in his. 

“Before you... I was so desperately lonely. I just want you to stay by my side.”

Yuri took a deep breath. “I’m sure there are plenty of people who would love to be here beside you.”

Victor shook his head into Yuri’s palm. “It’s too big a chasm for most to cross. I’m King, but… my appearance…”

Yuri traced his thumb over the strong cheekbone. “Victor…” He leaned in and rested himself against Victor’s chest. 

Victor sighed softly, arms wrapping around Yuri. 

“Describe yourself to me?”

“Hmm?”

“I can feel your skin, the shape of your face. But it’s an incomplete idea.”

“Ok,” Victor said, placing a kiss to Yuri’s hair. 

Victor was silent a moment. “Well… my hair is silver…”

Yuri started laughing. 

“What’s so funny?” Victor asked, pout in his voice. 

Yuri smiled up at him. “You’re using color, but color means nothing to me.”

“Oh.”

Yuri shifted just enough to kiss him before settling against his chest again. “It’s ok. Maybe I was asking too much.”

“Well…” Victor said after a few minutes. “Color can influence emotion, so I wonder if it works in reverse. I’ll tell you using what you may know instead.”

Yuri smiled. “Ok.”

“You can feel the difference in the air between a full moon and a new moon, right?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“The silver in my hair is like the night of the full moon. Soft, but strong.”

“Wow.”

“My eyes are a clear blue. I’d describe them as the refreshing feel of calm water on a summer’s day. My skin has a light tone like cream, soft and smooth on the tongue.”

Yuri smiled. “You sound as stunning as people say. I still don’t understand the color, but I understand the emotion.”

“Your turn,” Victor said. 

“Hmm?”

Victor ran his finger through Yuri’s hair. “Your hair, Yuri, is like dark chocolate. At first it looks to be a single color, but in reality is rich and infinitely complex as it melts on the tongue.”

“Victor!” Yuri cried. “You don’t have to…”

Victor kissed his forehead. “But I want you to know how I see you.”

Yuri blushed. “Ok.”

“Your eyes, Yuri. They’re so beautiful. They’re like cinnamon. So sweet most of the time, but when you’re determined they get a spice like fire through them. And your skin, it’s warm and light and comforting like milk tea.”

“You make me sound almost as lovely as you.”

“But you are Yuri, maybe even moreso.”

“I’m just me.”

“And you’re beautiful.”

Fingers under his chin, and Victor was kissing him again. Yuri melted into it, moaning softly as their tongues played. 

“Yuri?” Victor asked, nervous edge to his voice. 

“Hmm?”

“Will… will you spend the night with me?”

Yuri took a deep breath. “Yes…” he finally breathed. 

There was a possessive note to the way Victor’s arm wrapped around his waist, but flirting in the way his fingers danced along Yuri’s side. It made Yuri feel wanted in ways he’d never expected. 

Anxiety laced through him. He had no illusions about what Victor had asked, nor about what he wanted for himself. But the thought that they’d be seen going into the King’s chambers together late at night, and how it would affect Victor…

“Yuri?” Victor murmured, pressing a kiss to his hair. “Are you ok? You’re suddenly tense.”

Yuri bit his lip. “I’m just nervous.”

Victor stopped walking and crossed in front of him. He tipped Yuri’s face up. 

“Why?”

Yuri felt the blush over his cheeks. “I don’t want anything I do to reflect badly on you… and…” His voice dropped. “It’ll be my first time.”

A soft intake of breath, then Victor’s lips on his cheek. 

“I want you there Yuri, so don’t worry about what others think. But… do you want to wait? I never want to push, not with you.”

Yuri sighed and leaned into Victor’s arms until his ear was pressed against Victor’s chest where he could hear the soothing beat of his heart. 

“No. I want this with you.”

“You’ll tell me if you change your mind?”

Yuri nodded, and Victor’s arms wrapped tighter around him. 

They stood there for several minutes, cool air easing the blush from Yuri’s skin. 

“I’m ready,” Yuri said. 

“You’re sure? I can escort you back to your room instead.”

Yuri pushed back slightly, enough so he could nod at Victor. “Yeah.”

“Ok.”

They resumed walking, and soon Yuri felt the stone under his feet change from the rounded stone of the garden paths to the sharp and polished tiles of the castle floors. 

Their footsteps echoed in unfamiliar ways, and Yuri realized they were in a part of the castle he’d never been to. Then they stopped, and he heard the sound of a heavy door opening. 

“We’re here.”

The chill of stone was cut by the soft chattering of a fireplace. 

Yuri took a few steps away from Victor, listening to the echoes and smelling the fresh flowers and crisp linens. 

“Stop there,” Victor said as the door clicked shut. “You’re about to bump into a table.”

Yuri paused and waited for Victor to rejoin him. 

“I’ll have to take you around the room and let you get an idea of where everything is,” Victor said as he pulled Yuri into his arms. “But there’s something more pressing right now.”

Yuri gasped as Victor claimed his lips in a fiery kiss. The sound turned into a moan when he felt the press of an erection against his leg. He wrapped his arms around Victor’s neck, holding him close as he allowed the other man to feel his own arousal. 

Victor returned the moan, hands drifting to grab at Yuri’s ass. 

Yuri shivered. He needed more. 

Victor’s fingers traveled along his waistband, tugging it slightly. “May I?”

Yuri nodded and claimed Victor’s mouth again as the king loosened his belt and slid his hands into Yuri’s pants. In return Yuri pulled Victor’s shirt free and slipped his hands beneath it to run his fingers over the toned muscles. 

Victor guided him deftly toward the bed. Clothes came off along the way, and by the time Yuri’s legs hit the mattress he was heated by Victor at his front and chilled by the air on his back. 

He scooted back along the mattress, Victor crawling along with him, kissing until a hand on his wrist told him to stop. 

Victor ground his erection against Yuri, and Yuri couldn’t stop his hips from rising in response. They kissed, bodies sliding against each other, breathing from each other’s lips. 

Yuri whined as Victor broke off, the sound of rattling off to the side. 

“You’re sure?” Victor asked. 

Yuri nodded. “Yes.”

Fingers brushing along the inside of his thighs, and he understood. He spread his legs, gasping as Victor’s fingers traced up and massaged lightly at his entrance. 

“Let me know if you’re uncomfortable?”

Yuri nodded and whimpered as an oiled finger slipped inside. “Victor…”

“You ok?”

“Yes.”

Victor’s finger started to move inside him, and Yuri released a shuddering breath. 

Then Victor was kissing him again, and Yuri melted, relaxing under the gentle care. Soon a second finger was inside him, working him open. 

Yuri cried out when Victor’s fingers curled and brushed against something inside him. 

“Beautiful,” Victor praised as Yuri writhed in pleasure. 

“Need you,” Yuri gasped, suddenly needing more than Victor’s fingers could provide. 

“Ok,” Victor said, pulling his fingers free. 

Then Victor was between his legs, tip of his cock pressed against Yuri’s entrance. “Let me know if I need to slow down.”

Yuri nodded, raising his hips to take him for the first time. 

Yuri cried out at the sudden stretch, but the sound changed to a deep moan as the head popped inside.

“You ok?”

Yuri nodded. 

“Let me know when you’re ready for more.”

Yuri nodded and took a few deep breaths to relax before nodding again. 

Victor rocked into him slowly, a bit deeper each time. The stretch burned, but at the same time Yuri found that he wanted more. He moaned, head falling back onto the plush pillow. 

Victor stilled, and Yuri realized that he was fully inside. 

“You feel amazing,” Victor praised, running his lips along Yuri’s cheeks. 

“So full,” Yuri whimpered. 

Victor chuckled. 

They kissed until Yuri’s body demanded more. He rolled his hips, and Victor responded by pulling out and pushing back in slowly. 

“Victor,” Yuri moaned. 

Victor kissed him as he started thrusting. 

Yuri wrapped his legs around Victor’s middle and clawed at his back. The burn of the stretch turned into the inferno of pleasure and he allowed it to consume him. 

“Victor… ah… so good…”

“Yuri, beautiful Yuri…”

Victor sucked marks into his skin, drowning Yuri in pleasure. 

Yuri needed more, deeper, harder. His hips came up and he thrust back against Victor. 

Their lips crashed together, tongues tangling and exploring. 

Then Victor’s cock brushed that spot inside of Yuri again, and he saw stars as his head fell back and he cried out in pleasure. 

Victor groaned and angled himself to hit the same spot over and over, leaving Yuri shaking from the intensity. 

“Victor… ah… so close…”

Victor kissed him again, thrusting his tongue into Yuri’s mouth as he shifted to wrap one hand around his cock. His thumb pressed on the delicate bundle of nerves just below the head, and it was enough to send Yuri over the edge. 

“Victor…” he cried as his entire body pulsed in ecstasy. 

Victor kept thrusting, prolonging Yuri’s orgasm before he stilled and held deep. 

Yuri felt Victor’s answering pulse of pleasure as he spilled deep inside. 

They were kissing again, basking in the afterglow while still connected. 

“Yuri,” Victor said softly, almost as if Yuri’s name were a prayer. 

“Victor,” Yuri breathed in response. 

“You ok?”

Yuri nodded. “That… was better than I ever expected.”

“Good,” Victor said as he leaned in to kiss him again. 

They stayed connected until Victor started to soften. He pulled out and used a soft cloth to clean them. 

The warmth in Victor’s arms was better than any blanket as he fell asleep. 

* * *

“So it’s settled,” Victor said, looking around the table. “Next week we’ll deploy tax assessors to determine the impact of our new policies across the kingdom. They will be in groups of three, one person from nobility, one from the merchant class, and one from the worker class. They won’t know each other’s identities, and will file independent reports. Each will be informed that they are working alone so none will try to influence the others.”

“I suggest we give them different routes,” Yakov said. “That way no two are in the same place at the same time.”

“Good idea,” Victor replied. “We’ll start them out in different places so that they don’t influence each other’s findings.”

“Why so many?” Prince Yuri asked. 

Victor sighed. “Because they’ll naturally talk to different people. The nobles will be interested in their peers, while the working class will have a completely different viewpoint. We can’t rely on just one perspective, that’s what got us here to begin with.”

“And what do we do when they come back with wildly different answers.”

“We eliminate the set amount taxation and go with a rate based system.”

“But that means nobles and those in the capital will be paying more!” one of the ministers cried. 

“Yes it does,” Victor agreed. “But their circumstances are different. We assumed it wouldn’t be a burden, but we didn’t take into account that some villages aren’t as affluent. We need to do something that’s fair for them as well.”

The minister sputtered and seemed ready to retort when Victor spoke again. 

“Bankrupting small villages only hurts us all. Can the capital or other large cities support an influx of people looking for work that they had before these taxes were enacted? If a baker comes here from one of the other villages and opens shop it’s good, but what if there are ten, or a hundred? How long can the existing merchants compete without lowering prices and starting to suffer themselves? We have a chance now to be proactive, but if we wait much longer we’ll only be in a reactionary position, and by then the damage will already be hard to repair.”

Murmurs of agreement from around the table. 

“Any arguments?” Victor asked. 

People shook their head. 

“Good. Dismissed.”

The scrape of chairs as the ministers left. Victor shuffled some papers for a minute more before realizing that there was still one person in the room. 

“Yura?” he asked, looking up to see the prince sitting there. 

“Going to see him again?”

Victor scowled. “What do you mean?”

“Everybody can see it. You can’t take your eyes off him.”

“And?”

“People are talking.”

“So what? Whom I choose to spend time with is my decision. It’s not affected my duties, nor will it.”

“Whatever,” Yuri stood. 

“You’ll understand one day Yura,” Victor said. “You’re still young, and so much responsibility. But there will come a time when you’ll want to just stay close to someone.”

“Tch,” Yuri scoffed. 

Victor sighed and gathered his papers. 

* * *

Yuri smiled and turned his face to feel the sunlight on it. In his hand he held his walking stick, thumb running along the polished wood.

Footsteps, scrapes and the occasional kick. Yuri only knew one person who walked like that. 

He stood and bowed in the direction of the footsteps. “Good afternoon your Highness.”

“Tch,” the prince replied. “How’d you know it was me?”

Yuri ran his hand along the back of his neck. “It’s the way you walk.”

“The way I walk?”

Yuri nodded and sat on the bench again. A moment later he felt the presence of the prince beside him. 

“You don’t carry yourself like royalty,” Yuri said. “You walk as if the world has personally offended you.”

“Ok…”

Yuri bit his lip. “The guards and soldiers walk with the practiced cadence of training. Their footsteps are crisp and exact. Victor is light on his feet. It’s practiced, but in a different way. His footsteps are meant to convey authority. They have a self-assurance about them that even he probably doesn’t realize. He was probably trained in poise from a young age. Other staff tend to fall in between, the higher they tend toward nobility the more poise in their gait, while maids and minor staff tend to have the cautious movements borne of regularly acknowledging the status of those around them. Then… there’s you.”

“I used to skip Lilia’s classes on posture and carrying oneself,” Prince Yuri said. “I’m the prince, who cares how I walk or stand? But you can tell it’s me just by how I walk?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Yuri grumbled. 

Yuri smiled. “I bet people see it too. If I can hear it, then…”

“Ugh!”

“Sorry Highness.”

“Yura.”

“Hmm?”

“Call me Yura. Victor does.”

“Are you sure?”

“Why not? You’re allowed to call Victor by his name, and he’s the king while I’m only a prince. Seems odd to force you to use a title.”

“Umm, ok.”

A moment of silence fell between them. 

“I’m sorry,” Prince Yuri said. 

“Yura?”

“For that outburst the first day you came to a meeting with the ministers. I know everybody was thinking it, but…” he sighed. “It was rude.”

Yuri shook his head. “It was probably better to get it over with early. I think if they’d remained skeptical of me or my intentions we wouldn’t have made so much progress.”

“Yeah.” A moment of silence. “Tax assessors are going out next week. That’s what we decided on this morning. They’re going to gather data so we can institute a rate based system rather than the set amount right now. That should further ease the burden.”

“Seems I accomplished my goal then,” Yuri said with a sigh. 

“So what’s next? Marry the king and live happily ever after?”

Yuri paused. “I don’t know… I hear whispers still, both from without and within… I’m not worthy of him.”

“What the hell! He’s king! If he says your worthy, then you’re worthy!”

Yuri sighed. “It’s more complicated than that Yura. He  _ is _ king, and that’s why it matters so much who stands at his side. That position can be used to form political alliances or seal treaties. It can be a person who inspires or somebody with great depth of character. Whom he chooses sends a message, and it’s an important one.”

Prince Yuri stood, casting a shadow on Yuri. “You’re an idiot. You forgot one of the most important things…”

“Yura?”

“You make him happy dumbass.”

The prince stormed off, extra kick in his step. 

Yuri sighed. “That may be, but it’s still not that simple.”

* * *

Victor knocked on the door, having heard from one of the castle attendants that Yuri had been seen headed toward his assigned quarters.

“Come in.”

Victor opened the door and walked into the small but comfortable bedroom. Instead of the grand suite he enjoyed as king, it was far simpler: a bed, chair, small table and a wardrobe. But what caught his attention was Yuri’s bag on the bed, clothing spread around it as if Yuri was packing. 

“The attendants said you were here,” Victor said softly. He eyed the clothing again. “Yuri? Why does it look like you’re packing?”

Yuri sighed, frown on his face. “Yura came to me earlier. He said you’re sending tax assessors to help craft a new tax plan.”

“Yes?”

“That means… I have my answer. You’re going to help my village, and others like it. It’s time for me to go home.”

A hole seemed to swallow Victor’s heart. 

“That doesn’t mean you have to leave,” he argued. “You can stay…”

Yuri shook his head, face toward the floor. “I can’t.”

“Why not?”

Yuri walked over and ran his hand up Victor’s chest to cup the side of his face. He rose on his toes and kissed him. “I love you Victor, and I fall more in love with you each day. But I know I can’t have you. You’re the king, and not only am I a commoner, I’m a blind one. People like me aren’t allowed to stand beside you.”

“Don’t go…”

There were tears in Yuri’s eyes. “I have to. The longer I stay, the harder it’ll be to leave.”

“Yuri…”

“I’ve decided,” Yuri said, stepping back. “I leave at dawn. I’m hoping to make the next town by nightfall.”

“You’re walking?” Victor whispered.

Yuri nodded. 

Victor’s lip trembled. “At… at least allow me to send you in a carriage.”

Yuri was quiet for several minutes. “Ok.”

Victor reached out, but Yuri had already returned to stand by the bed. 

He turned and left the room.

* * *

Yuri tossed and turned. He’d spent most nights over the past several weeks wrapped in Victor’s arms.

He ached with the thought that he’d never kiss his king again, never feel his touch. 

“He deserves better than me,” he said, over and over as he failed to sleep. 

Eventually he could hear the chatter of birds and knew that dawn was approaching. He climbed from his bed and got dressed. 

He slung his bag over his shoulder, and tears welled in his eyes as he grabbed his new walking stick. 

He wiped his tears and headed toward the front entrance. 

“You’re sure about this?”

Yuri paused to nod. “Yes Chris. He deserves better than me.”

“He would disagree.”

“And that’s why I have to leave.”

Chris sighed beside him. “Your carriage is ready.”

“Thank you.”

Chris escorted Yuri to the carriage, handing him his stick once he was seated inside. 

“The driver has been instructed to stay with you in Hasetsu for three days, in case you change your mind.”

“That’s not needed.”

Another sigh. “King’s orders.”

“Fine.”

“Safe journey Yuri.”

Yuri smiled in Chris’s direction. “Thank you Chris.”

Chris stepped back, and the door closed. 

Yuri wiped away a tear as the clatter of wheels over cobblestone sounded. 

* * *

Victor stood in his office, looking out the window on the courtyard below.

Chris helped Yuri into the carriage, then it turned and headed out from the main gate and down toward the capital. He watched until it dropped out of sight, reappeared along the main road, and finally was nothing more than a dot among the traffic leaving the city.

“You’re up early,” Prince Yuri said.

“Aren’t you?” Victor retorted. 

“You’re not going to stop him?”

“How’d you know?”

“It’s a castle. News travels fast.”

Victor sighed. “No. He made it clear that this is what he wants.”

“Is it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Did you even fight for him?” the prince growled. “He didn’t want to leave. He doesn’t think he deserves you!”

“What do you mean?”

“That idiot thinks there’s somebody more suited to stand beside you, and you’re an idiot for letting him think that.”

“Yura…”

“Look,” Yuri said, stomping over and poking Victor in the chest. “If you let him go, then I don’t want to see you moping. No pining. If you let him go now, it’s on you. But if you want him, if he makes you happy… if you  _ love _ him, then get your head out of your ass and go after him.”

Yuri spun on his heels and stomped out. “Damn idiots. I don’t know why I bother.”

Victor turned to the window again, and for a moment tried to imagine a life without Yuri in it. 

His heart ached at the thought. 

He threw open the window and yelled down to where Chris was still standing in the courtyard, in discussion with several members of staff. 

“Chris!”

Chris looked up at him. 

“Ready a horse!”

Chris smiled. “Yes Majesty!”

Victor practically flew down the stairs. “I can still catch him.”

By the time Victor exited the front of the castle a horse was standing, waiting for him. 

“Hasetsu is to the southeast,” Chris said. 

Victor grinned. “Thank you.”

He snapped the reins and leaned into the wind as the horse sped to a gallop beneath him. 

_ Yuri… _

* * *

Yuri wiped tears from his cheeks, but more fell to take their place. It had been slightly over an hour since his departure from the castle, and he’d cried almost the entire time.

He wanted to tell the driver to stop, to turn around, that he’d made a mistake. But he couldn’t. It was better for both him and Victor if he returned home and allowed the King to find a worthy partner. 

He leaned forward, cradling the walking stick that Victor had gifted him. His fingers trailed along the smooth grain of the wood, noting the smoothness and dedication to craftsmanship. 

It was a walking stick worthy of a king. 

The galloping of a horse passing the carriage, then the driver pulled back, stopping the vehicle. 

Yuri wondered what had happened when the door was pulled open, a gust of air blowing inside. 

“Yuri!”

“Victor?” Yuri cried as the other man climbed in and wrapped him in his arms. 

“Yuri,” Victor said again, pressing kisses to his face. 

“Victor… what are you doing here?”

“I couldn’t let you go. You’re too important to me.”

Yuri shook his head. “I should go home now. You deserve somebody better than me at your side.”

Victor took Yuri’s hands in his own. “Yuri… beautiful Yuri… do you really want to leave?”

Tears spilled down Yuri’s cheeks and he bit his lip. “Of course not,” he answered after a moment. 

“Then why? Why are you leaving?”

“Because you’re the king, and I’m just me. There are many more people better suited to stand beside you.”

“Yuri?”

“Yes?”

“If you could have anything in the world, what would it be?”

Yuri lowered his head. “To be with you.”

Fingers under his chin, and Victor was kissing him. 

Yuri cried harder as the kiss ended. 

“I want you too Yuri. Please… please come back with me. Stand beside me, as my husband.”

“Victor! I… I’m not worthy.”

Victor pressed a stoppered flask into his hand. “Yuri. I’m going to entrust this to you, but I ask you to never use it on yourself.”

“What is it?”

“It’s my birthright. The contents can change the body of the person it’s used on. You could change your appearance, or give yourself sight. But you don’t need to do any of those things. You’re more than worthy just as you are.”

“Victor…”

“Yuri… I didn’t know, not until recently. But… when I was born I had a deformity, and worried that I would be banished or killed, my mother took me to an enchantress. She asked me to be made beautiful. But the price of the magic was that nobody would ever love me as a partner, because they were too enamored by my looks. She made a second request, and had to give up her own love for me so that I would have love now. The contents of that flask are part of the second spell. They can be used to make a person worthy. But Yuri, please believe me… you don’t need it.

“I’ll admit I’m scared,” Victor continued. “A part of me is worried that if you see me as everybody else does, that you’ll be affected the same as them. But more than that, you already see so much. You’re so beautiful, and you see so much more than people with sight that you don’t need it.”

Victor paused. “I love you Yuri. I love you so much the thought of never holding you again, of not sleeping beside you, is like daggers in my heart. I want you beside me, for the rest of my life. Please… please stay. Please, be my husband. Stand beside me.”

Yuri’s fingers tightened around the flask. 

_ I could see with this… _

Yuri tore himself from Victor’s grasp and flung open the other door on the carriage. He climbed down, and ran toward where he could hear the gurgling of a river, tripping and scrambling over the berm.  

“Yuri!” He heard Victor cry as he knelt and held the flask above his head. 

Yuri loosed the flask, sending it soaring toward the water, a moment later the sound of a splash. 

“Yuri?” Victor asked, grass whispering around his feet as he walked over. 

Yuri turned, smile on his face. “Now I’ll never be tempted to use it.”

Arms around him and a press of bodies as Victor fell to his knees. Victor sobbed against Yuri’s hair. 

Yuri wrapped his arms around Victor. “I hope I’m not getting blood on you. I tripped on the berm.”

Victor sat back and took Yuri’s hands in his own, turning the palms up. “There are a few scrapes. We should tend to those quickly.”

“I’m sure the medical staff of the castle can do that.”

A moment of silence, then. “Do you mean?”

Yuri nodded. “Yes…”

“Yes?”

“Yes… I’ll stay, and I’ll be your husband. I’ll do my best to make you proud as I stand at your side.”

Victor’s lips were on his in an instant, and Yuri melted into the touch of the man he loved. 

* * *

Victor looked out from his office and smiled. Drapes of flowers and colorful fabrics filled the palace courtyard and was echoed across the city. A line of carriages ascended the hill toward the castle.

A knock at the door. 

“Enter.”

Chris walked in and bowed, smile on his face. “Everything is ready.”

“And Yuri?” Victor asked, for a moment fearing the anxious man would try to run again. 

“His family is seeing that his suit is perfect on him.”

Victor smiled. “Silly man. He should know by now that what matters most to me is him.”

There was a second knock at the door. 

“Yes?”

The door opened and Victor gaped for a moment before rushing over to properly escort his mother into the room. “Mother.”

His mother patted his arm as he linked his with hers and guided her to a loveseat. “Congratulations Victor.”

“Thank you mother.”

“I must say, your Yuri is quite a man. I’ve only heard good things about him.”

Victor smiled. “Yes. He’s incredible, a worthy man to stand beside me.”

She reached up and pulled Victor’s head down to kiss his forehead. “I wish you a long and happy life together.”

Victor smiled. “Thank you.”

Another knock. Victor turned to see an attendant bowing. “Majesty, Highness? It’s time to head down.”

“Thank you,” Victor said. He escorted his mother from the room, Chris a few paces behind him. 

“Victor?”

“Yes mother?”

“I do have one question.”

“What’s that?”

“Why did you two decide to not use the flask?”

Victor smiled. “We didn’t need it.”

A laugh, sweet and chiming. He looked down to see his mother smiling. “I see. I’m proud of you.”

Victor smiled. “I still think it’s doing good things though.”

“Oh?”

“All the farms downstream of where Yuri threw it, all the way to the ocean, are flourishing like never before.”

She smiled at him. “Surely an omen of how our kingdom will flourish under the both of you.”

Victor nodded. 

They reached where the procession was lining up, and Victor left his mother in an attendant’s care to be escorted into the chapel while he made his way around to his side. 

Chris and Prince Yuri stood near him as they waited for all the guests to be seated. Then they made their way inside. 

The music started and a stream of nobles were escorted to their seats. 

Then it changed, and Victor had eyes for only one man. His mother and father walked on either side of him. 

Yuri’s hands were placed in his, and the smile that spread across his face could have lit the room. 

Victor barely heard the vows, too intent on the man before him. 

They kissed for the first time as husbands, the first of many to come. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I appreciate any comments, kudos or shares. 
> 
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> 
> Find my other YoI fanfics on my AO3 profile at <http://archiveofourown.org/users/phoenixwaller/profile>


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